This invention relates to portable thermal containers such as thermoelectric heating and cooling devices, picnic coolers, ice chests, and the like. More particularly, the invention relates to such a thermal container with a reversible door.
Picnic coolers, thermoelectric heaters and coolers, and similar containers typically include a lid or door for closing the thermal compartment thereof. If the lid or door is pivotally mounted adjacent one of the walls of the container, the door can be opened in only one direction.
A pivoting door which opens in only one direction limits the versatility of the container. The container must always be positioned so that opening of the door is not hindered by adjacent objects.
The versatility of a container with a pivoting door is particularly limited if the container is positioned so that the door extends in a vertical plane and pivots about a vertical axis. Opening of a vertically pivoting door is more easily hindered. Further, right-handed and left-handed persons often prefer to open such a door in different directions.
Many thermal containers can be supported on either end so that the direction in which the door pivots can be reversed simply by inverting the position of the container. However, some containers are optimally used in only one position, for example, because of internal shelves, internal storage compartments, etc.
Thermoelectric containers present a particular problem. Such containers are well known and include a D.C. thermoelectric unit or heat pump which either heats or cools the internal compartment depending upon the polarity of the connection to the D.C. power source. The thermoelectric unit typically includes a fan for drawing air through an air intake opening, distributing conditioned air within the compartment, and venting air to the outside through an exhaust opening.
The intake and exhaust openings are usually provided in one of the end walls of the container so that the container can be used in either a chest position or in an upright position. In the chest position the door pivots upwardly about a horizontal axis, and the wall with the vent openings forms one of the side walls of the container. In the upright position the door pivots about a vertical axis, and the wall with the vents forms the top wall of the container.
Most thermoelectric containers can be used in only one upright position because of the vent openings. The vent openings should be in the top wall and not the bottom wall. If the vent openings were in the bottom wall, ventilation could be blocked by the supporting surface and the operation of the thermoelectric device could be adversely affected. Such a thermoelectric cooler could not be inverted in order to change the direction in which the door opens.